presser
UK[ˈprɛsə]US[ˈprɛsər]
n
A person or device that applies pressure, especially one who irons clothes or presses fruit to extract juice.
n
(Informal) A situation or event causing stress or urgency.
Morpheme Breakdown
press
er
press
to push
er
agent suffix
Etymology
The word 'presser' is a transparent English formation built upon the verb 'press'. The core verb originates from the Latin premere, meaning to press, squeeze, or hold fast, which itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European root per- (to strike). The agent suffix '-er', of Germanic lineage, is one of the most productive in English for denoting a person or thing that performs an action. Thus, the literal "one who presses" logically extends from a person ironing garments to a machine for extracting juice, and metaphorically to any source of pressure or urgency.
Analysis
Structure: press (to push) + er (agent suffix)
'press' from Latin pressāre, a frequentative of premere (to press, push). 'er' from Old English -ere, an agent-noun suffix of Germanic origin.
Examples
She worked as a presser in a garment factory, smoothing out wrinkles from suits.
The cider presser efficiently extracted juice from the apples.
The upcoming deadline was a real presser, forcing the team to work late.